Limiting kids' time on iPads - customisable options?

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jonathan18

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#223802 18-Oct-2017 10:00

Like many parents, we struggle to manage the length of time the kids spend on the iPads; I've tried various apps to help manage this, but none I've found thus far provide for the customisability I'm looking for.

Many apps provide for setting a maximum period of screen time on a daily level - but what I'm needing is the ability to have this period to apply across only set periods of the day. This is because the oldest takes his iPad to school, and therefore it's impossible to determine a set daily limit (as it'll depend on how long it's used at school).

So, can anyone advise of an app that allows this degree of control, so that say the weekday 'daily limit' is applied to (for example) only the hours 7-9am and 3-7pm?

I understand some will argue a tech solution isn't the answer, but TBH being able to set specific rules and have the tech manage this will remove a lot of the stress and emotion from the daily struggle - the time's up, move on boy!

Thanks in advance.

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#1885521 18-Oct-2017 10:05

Use the iPad timer?

jaymz

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#1885524 18-Oct-2017 10:07

At a lot of schools i visit, teachers have often used the iPad's built in Guided Access:

https://www.engadget.com/2014/01/09/guided-access-is-the-single-greatest-ios-feature-for-parents-and/

I use it at home with my 11month old to stop him from being able to change the video when he watches a cartoon in bed with us in the morning. Works a treat.

xpd

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#1885537 18-Oct-2017 10:22

Im using the free version of this for my kids PC time - works well. https://www.qustodio.com/en/

XPD / Gavin

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#1885706 18-Oct-2017 13:40

For my kids if they overshoot their time they get a ban. If they play without permission they get a ban. If they fight over the iPad, yup you got it, ban.

jonathan18

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#1885726 18-Oct-2017 14:15

Thanks for the ideas, but unfortunately none offer a viable answer to what I'm after.

I'd be surprised if there's nothing that does this, given there must be many other parents in a similar situation - ie device used at school, but still wanting to set time-based restrictions on use of the device in the home environment,

Batman: Use the iPad timer?

We have an app that sets off notifications and an alarm after the timer counts down, but they can keep on using it (unlike equivalent apps for Android devices, which can lock down the device), but that's not what we're after. Yes, we can (and do) ban them for over-using a device, but we want something that doesn't come with the grief. Call that poor parenting if you like!

jaymz:

At a lot of schools i visit, teachers have often used the iPad's built in Guided Access:

https://www.engadget.com/2014/01/09/guided-access-is-the-single-greatest-ios-feature-for-parents-and/

I use it at home with my 11month old to stop him from being able to change the video when he watches a cartoon in bed with us in the morning. Works a treat.

This more restricts the user from exiting an app, as opposed to placing a time restriction on using the device over a set period.

xpd:

Im using the free version of this for my kids PC time - works well. https://www.qustodio.com/en/

I browsed through the over 100 page PDF manual for the product, and while it does have a daily time limit feature, it sadly doesn't seem to have the granular level of control to make it useful for our purposes.

(edited for spelling)

Sam91

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#1885738 18-Oct-2017 14:50

http://ourpact.com

I actually found this app a while back when I was trying to restrict my own time on my devices. Hopefully it has the customisation you're after. It looks like you need to pay to get the full functionality though.

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dickytim

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#1886018 19-Oct-2017 06:39

Could you have them self manage?

i.e. they can only charge the iPad once a week?

jonathan18

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#1886119 19-Oct-2017 10:20

Sam91:

http://ourpact.com

I actually found this app a while back when I was trying to restrict my own time on my devices. Hopefully it has the customisation you're after. It looks like you need to pay to get the full functionality though.

Thanks for the idea, but sadly no this doesn't support this feature.

dickytim:

Could you have them self manage?

i.e. they can only charge the iPad once a week?

Not feasible in our situation, given my older son uses his iPad at school and the younger son shares an iPad with my wife.

jonathan18

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#1886122 19-Oct-2017 10:30

Thanks for all the suggestions.

It looks like there is a product that'll support what I want to do, and that's Kidlox, an app recommended to me by a colleague. I had an email from the company explaining how to set it up, eg for the week days:

create a 'schedule' that runs from 9-3 that places the app in 'parent mode' (essentially fully open, as it is at the moment all the time); have it automatically return to 'kid mode' at the end of this school schedule.
set another schedule from night, say 8pm until 7am where it is in 'locked mode', so can be used for nothing but built-in apps (can block Safari in the iPad's restrictions)
establish a time restriction of say one hour which will apply across the whole time it's in 'kid mode', which would be the remaining periods of 7-9am and 3-8pm.

If it works as promised, it's exactly what I'm after. To do this, however, requires the 'premium' subscription which is currently $30 US a year. Seems to have a 14 day trial period of the premium features, so if it does work I'm happy to pay that for the peace of mind it'll bring.